Change
by PetPetAngel
Summary: Haku wondered vaguely to himself how he had ever thought that the change that Chihiro made in his life was bad. HakuChihiro


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Change

Written by:

PetPetAngel

Notes: This fic was the creation that spawned from my blatant annoyance of fics that made these two wait a billion years to see each other. THEY ARE ALLOWED TO BE HAPPY, FOLKS. They don't need to be like, twenty to be good friends or even to just understand their feelings for each other. GOSH. (This A/N was not meant to offend anybody, by the way).

-

Haku sighed softly into his hands, staring up at Chihiro's house. He had finally come all this way, fought through Yubaba's wrath (she was absolutely _wonderful_ when she was angry), and found himself there instinctively. Though it had only been a day or two since Chihiro had left him, it had felt like generations as he battled his way to her.

Sitting on the ground, still in his garb from the bath house, he looked up and wondered what Chihiro would do when she saw him. Haku didn't actually expect much of a reaction from the young girl - it had only been a few days afterall - it was just like having a friend go on vacation.

But it isn't, Haku told himself. It's not like that at all. It's more like your friend went on a vacation where they may have never been able to come back ever again. That sort of changes things a bit, Haku thought, laughing lightly.

Out of the spirit world he felt alive, incredibly, unworldly so, alive. He was here and for once Yubaba couldn't bring him back when she wanted. He never had to feel that dreaded pull of that slug in his stomach, hear Yubaba's voice in his head, calling him, _commanding_ him to come back, and no matter what he thought he could never stop himself from going. Haku scowled at that thought - felt guilt in his heart.

He had felt terrible demanding that Chihiro didn't speak to him, then telling her to address him as 'Master Haku'; as if he was her better in someway. But she's better than I am, he said, shifting his chin to his hand, still staring up at the house. She's so much better than I am, with such a strong will, a strong heart... She'll go far, he thought. If her naivety didn't bring her down first.

That had been one of the lessons that Haku had learned in his time with Yubaba. Naivety could bring down the strongest of hearts, of minds; a simple thing like trust could kill you. Haku had adapted to this rule that Yubaba had in her world quickly. He kept a hard face with harsh eyes and made sure that there was fairness for all; special privledges for none.

But then he had seen her, on the bridge, and something had changed. Something about her was familiar, and that familiarity caused something inside him to change; to break. All the things he had pent up, all the emotions he had kept inside, had broken as he watched her look at him curiously. Soon the realization of that change had hit him, the realization that something had change. He hated change.

He had cast her away, afraid that the change she had made in him would grow. Afraid that his world would change and then that comfort zone of emptiness he had created for himself would be invaded, violated and torn away from him. The words he spoke were comforting (that fact he had tried to ignore at the time) just because he hoped that would make her run faster. Go away, was what he had chanted in his mind.

But... When she had, it hurt.

There had been something _wrong_ with her disappearence, something unusual, something crooked, wicked, evil even... No, not evil. Something bad. Something... Something...

And then he went after her, looking for her again, because that was what she did to him. There was no way she could tell, at the time or even now that she could do that to him, but that was what she did. She made him want to go after her. Haku had always tried to ignore how much he hated that. She had a power over him; a control on him; one that surpassed even Yubaba's. He hated that. He hated how she changed him and made him lose that calm, collected appearence he had worked so hard to build up.

But he couldn't get mad at her. She hadn't meant to do that to him. She just _did._

And now that he knew her, he didn't think he could get mad at her if he _wanted_ to.

Because now... Now he knew that that change she had led him through was not bad. It was not a bad change at all. It had just been the fact things were _different_ with her that made it seem so bad - he was just scared. She made me feel again, Haku thought. And I just didn't like it. I couldn't feel if I needed to work for Yubaba. I couldn't have my mind and work for her, just because she couldn't control my mind. Just my body.

Haku shook himself out of his thoughts, knowing that if he didn't stop thinking soon he'd just get carried away. If he hadn't already, that was.

Haku rose from his spot, no longer sitting on the ground. He ran a self conscious hand over his pants, dusting away invisible dirt. Finally he rose himself from the ground to the second floor, looking for a room that perhaps, just perhaps, Chihiro would be occupying. One room was her parents, and even though the window was closed Haku _swore_ that he could hear Chihiro's father snoring. How does her mother _sleep_, he thought. She must have earplugs.

So he went to the next window, and there he saw Chihiro, sleeping soundly and peacefully, face bathed in moonlight. Haku held his breath for a moment, unsure on whether he should wake her up or just wait until the morning. But can you actually _wait_ until the morning?

He tapped on the window. When Chihiro didn't stir, he tapped on the window louder, wincing at the sound.

In her bed, Chihiro's eyebrows furrowed, furrowed further, and then finally, her eyes creaked open. She blinked a few times before lifting herself up and balancing her upper body on her elbow. Haku gave one last knock at the window until Chihiro finally noticed him. Her eyes lit up and she threw the covers almost violently off of herself, and opened the window.

"Open the door downstairs," Haku told her. Shifting foot to foot in her excitement, Chihiro nodded and bounded down the stairs, seeming as if she was desperately trying to hold back a squeal of joy. Haku flew down to the door and waited until he heard the lock click, and saw the door open. Before he could speak, Chihiro threw herself at him.

"Haku!"

Haku twirled the excited girl around, smiled and held her to him until she finally pulled away. Her eyes were bright with happiness, and Haku didn't know if there had ever been a time before that she had looked so beautiful. As she pulled away, he was unsure of what he should do. Seeing this, Chihiro grabbed his hand and pulled him into the house.

Something tells me this is going to end up just a little bit strange, he thought to himself, but it didn't keep the smile off of his face. She pulled him upstairs into her room where he had been watching her but a few short moments before.

Haku wasn't sure how long they talked together, how much explaining he had to do or how many questions Chihiro had for him, but it seemed like only a few moments later that she was yawning and he was telling her to go back to sleep. But before he could finish the sentence, she was grasping his shirt just like when they had first met. His smile was the same as she asked him, "Will you still be here when I wake up?"

"I promise I will be." She smiled up at him and eventually decided to trust his word completely, so she moved back from her spot on the end of the bed to crawl up to her pillow and back under the covers. Haku watched her with a small smile on his face.

"But.. What about you? Do you want me to let you back out?"

"Nah, I'll just stay here."

"But--- my parents---"

"I'll explain to them later then, I guess. Right now I'm not moving an inch." He smiled a determined smile and Chihiro knew that look on his face, so she nodded, sighed, and tucked herself under the covers. As she shifted to her side, Haku her heard her wish him a good night. "Sleep well," was the last thing that he said to her before she drifted back to sleep. As he watched her, he wondered how he ever had managed to think that the change she had made in him was bad. As the minutes passed, he watched her sleep.

And around the time the clock struck one, Haku gave in and laid down beside her, wrapping a gentle arm around her slim waist.

-

"GET AWAY FROM OUR DAUGHTER, YOU FREAK!"

Haku jumped at the shrill voice that could only be Chihiro's mother's voice. Though he had been away for a few hours, the disruption of the silence had been sudden. Wonderous wake-up call, Haku thought. I wonder if they always wake her up like this.

Chihiro had also jumped. In fact, she had all out spasmed at the sound, so Haku tightened his hold on her and whispered softly in her ear. "It's alright Chihiro," he told the startled girl. "It's just your parents." She jumped at his voice as well, but soon calmed and sat up, still not noticing Haku's hold on her. He did not move from his spot where he had fallen asleep on her pillow, but wondered vaguely what Chihiro's parents expressions were.

But he figured they were rather murderous from the way Chihiro jerked violently out of bed after she rose. Unable ot help it, Haku felt a smile raise to his lips. She's so cute, he thought. "Mom, dad, it's okay! Really! It's just my friend, Ha-Kohaku!" He grinned as she corrected herself, and knew that she would always still call him Haku.

"Chihiro," her mother said softly, "How did this... Kohaku end up in your room?"

Though he couldn't see her face, he knew that Chihiro was blushing hotly. "I let him in last night. He... Threw a few pebbles at the window to wake me up and told me to let him in, so I did..."

"Chihiro! That was very careless of you! You don't even know this boy!"

"Yes I do! He's my best friend! I'd do anything for him!" At this Haku rose and slipped out of Chihiro's bed, finally removing his arm from around her waist. He bowed deeply at her parents.

"Please forgive me for intruding. I am very certain that I gave you quite a scare. I really didn't mean to. I... Had known Chihiro for many years, but then she moved away from me. When I found out that she was my new neighbor I couldn't help but want to see her again. I haven't for a very long time. Again, I am sorry." Haku rose from his bow.

There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment until Chihiro's mother asked, "You lived near us? I don't recall ever seeing you?"

Haku smiled, knowing this question would come up. "I lived a few blocks away, near the river. I walk around a lot and one day came upon Chihiro swimming in m--- the river. That's how we met." Chihiro's father looked at him closely, waiting to see if Haku's gaze would waver. A sure sign of lying. When it did not, Chihiro's father nodded.

"Alright then. You still have a lot of explaining to do, and not to us young man!" As they left the room, Haku noticed that they didn't say anything until they were downstairs. He let out a deep sigh as they walked out of her room, then ran a hand through his hair. As he turned to Chihiro, they both let out a laugh. Life was good.

-

Later that night, Haku and Chihiro were outside watching the stars. Though this fact had slightly bothered Chihiro's parents (who were still under slight shock that they had found a strange boy in bed with their daughther), the two decided it would be fine --- as long as they stayed within eyesight. Haku had tried to desperately hide a smile at this --- and not quite suceeded. Chihiro had also joined in on this secret laughing.

So there they were, in the grass, staring up at the sky. Chihiro had curled herself into Haku's side, head resting on Haku's arm. Even though Haku was certain his arm was beginning to fall asleep, he couldn't bring himself to tell the girl to move. Haku smiled down at her while he absent-mindedly played with her hair.

Chihiro listened to music, drifting in and out of consciousness.

"Why don't you ever wear your hair down?" The question had slipped past his lips before he could stop it.

For a while Haku thought that Chihiro hadn't heard him until she lifted her head and shrugged. "Why don't you ever wear your hair up?"

"Because it would look silly," Haku answered good-naturedly. Chihiro cocked her head to the side at this.

"I bet it wouldn't. Have you ever seen yourself with your hair up?"

"No," he admitted.

"Then how do you know?" At this, Chihiro removed the hairtie she had been using (Haku recognized it vaguely as the one she had gotten at Zaneba's home) and removed herself from her semi-on top of him position. He gestured him up and then moved behind him.

Haku could feel Chihiro's small hands grabbing at strands of his hair, even getting the one by his face. Instead of giving him a high ponytail like she herself usually had, she gave him one just a bit above the nape of his neck. "So," she started once she was done with her handiwork. "How does it feel?"

"Strange," Haku answered, reaching for the hairtie to take it out of his hair. Just as Chihiro (who had moved back in front of him) was about to argue his action, he spoke. "How about this," he started. "I keep my hair up if you keep your hair down."

Chihiro pouted cutely but nodded, putting her headphones back over her ears and laying her head back on Haku's chest.

Just as Haku was about drift back into his thoughts, Chihiro's quiet voice pulled him out of his reverie. "Haku? Will you promise you stay here?"

"Do I always keep my promises?"

"That's not an answer!" Chihiro pouted again, looking up at him with big eyes, shining with an undefined emotion. Haku shushed her and placed a finger to her lips.

"Do I always keep my promises?"

Chihiro nodded, ready to speak up again, but Haku cut her off again.

"I promise."

Chihiro smiled and placed her head back on Haku's chest, who again went to play absently with her hair.

To think I once thought this change was bad, Haku said to himself. I hope this change never changes.

He smiled, and above them the moon shone bright on the pair.


End file.
